Individual assignment - German States

Bavaria

Overview

Bavaria is the largest German state by area. It forms almost 20% of the total land area of Germany. Bavaria is also Germany’s second most populous state. Bavaria is the state at the heart of Europe. The major European transport routes between East and West and between North and South intersect between the Alps and the Rhön, between the Main and the Danube.

History

Bavaria is one the oldest states in Europe. It can count back to the 6^th century. It called the Dukedom of Bavaria. Bavaria becomes a Kingdom in early 19^th century. In 1806, Bavaria is granted a constitution. In 1918, Bavaria becomes a Free State. During the Nazi Germany, Bavaria loses its independence, but in 1946, the constitution for the Bavarian State is approved.

Geography

Bavaria is located in the southest of Germany.

Bavaria covers almost one-fifth of the total land area of Germany and has an area of 27,200 square miles or 

70,500 square kilometers

Population is approximately 12.5 million

Bavaria borders Austria, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and the neighboring German states of
Baden-Wuerttemberg, Hesse, Thuringia and Saxony.

The capital city and the largest city is Munich (population approximately 1.35 million as 31 December 2010)

The second largest city is Nuremberg (population approximately 500 thousands as 31 December 2010)

The two major rivers that flows through Bavaria are the Danube (Donau) and the Main. The Bavarian Alps are home to Germany's highest peak, the Zugspitze 9,717 feet, and form a natural border with Austria.

Economy

The economy in Bavaria is very broad-based. Its industries, which are strong on innovation and a wide-ranging service sector have made Bavaria one of the most dynamic economic regions of Europe. Bavaria has long had one of the largest and healthiest economies of any region in Germany

GDP    € 429.86 billion (2009) or about $600 billion

GDP per capita           € 33,200 (2006) or about $45,000

Bavarian major industries are the automobile industry, heavy engineering and electro-technology together account for approximately 40% of industrial production in Bavaria.

The service sector is becoming increasingly important in Bavaria as well.

More than 100 insurance companies, with premiums totaling 65 billion Euros, have made Bavaria one of the most important insurance locations in Europe. Other focal points in the service sector in Bavaria are media companies, credit companies, and the tourist industry.

Bavarian economic policy is committed to the social market economy.

Some large companies headquartered in Bavaria include BMW, Siemens, Rohde & Schwarz, Audi, Munich Re, Allianz, Infineon, MAN, Wacker Chemie, Puma AG, and Adidas AG.

Thousands of high-tech, biotech and IT companies today not only have offices in Munich but also the surrounding towns and cities: Nuremburg, Wuerzburg, and Erlangen.

Interesting Information

Bavaria is rich in history, culture, and tradition.

There are more than 100,000 architectural monuments and more than 1,200 museums and collections in Bavaria. Every year the Bavarian castles, palaces and museums attract over 20 million visitors.

Bavaria is the most popular holiday resort in Germany, visited by almost 24 million people every year. The hotels and guest-houses in the state can point to 70 million overnight stays a year. A quarter of all the tourism in Germany takes place in Bavaria. With an annual turnover of more than 24 billion Euros tourism represents an important branch of the Bavarian economy.

Every year the "Oktoberfest", the Munich Beer Festival, attracts more than six million visitors from every continent. A highlight of the "Oktoberfest" is the traditional parade in Bavarian folk costume.

Reasons why I choose Bavaria

I choose Bavaria because Bavaria has very unique character that different from other part of Germany. It has its own tradition and culture created back for thousand years. Bavaria was dukedom and kingdom before integrated to Germany. It was part of several modern historical events during World War II such as “The Beer Hall Putsch” by Adolf Hitler and “The Nuremburg Trial” after World War II. Bavaria played several important roles in German culture, history, and economy. Bavaria is attract me to discover and learn more about Germany.

Reference

http://www.bavaria.us/6d3029fa-7c32-df8f-f143-ee98934953af

http://www.bayern.de/History-and-Historic-Figures-.631/index.htm                                         

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3882992,00.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bavaria 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_Hall_Putsch

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_Trials